WARREN -- "Cricket," the injured dog whose owner was charged with animal cruelty this week for pulling the pet on a leash alongside a van, has a new home.

Cricket now belongs to Warren police Officer Michael Lake, one of a handful of officers who offered to adopt her after she was taken away from resident Keith John Parker, 43, following his arrest Sunday.

"I mentioned it first. I guess I drew the lucky straw," Lake said. "She's such a lovable dog.

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"She is a doll. She's playful. She's spunky," said the officer, adding that Cricket likes to roll onto her back and have her belly scratched.

Police arrested Parker after several people dialed 911 on Sunday morning to report a man was driving a van while pulling the dog on a leash in the parking lot of the County Line Flea Market on Dequindre Road.

Police said witnesses reported that the dog had difficulty keeping up and apparently tumbled at one point, suffering a lost claw and a wound above one eye.

Parker told officers he felt the dog needed to go for a run, police said. He was arraigned this week on misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty and drunken driving and remained jailed in lieu of $25,000 bond. A trial is scheduled Dec. 8 in 37th District Court.

Warren Police Commissioner Jere Green said one of the city's animal control officers told Parker on Tuesday that if he didn't relinquish ownership of Cricket, officials would take action in court requesting that a judge not return the playful pooch to him. Parker, who claimed he got the dog in October, agreed to give her up, police said.

"I think he realized there was no way he could keep the dog," Lake said. "I think he realized that it probably wasn't worth the fight."

Lake said when his wife saw a television report about Cricket on Monday, she wondered aloud: "How could anybody harm such a cute, little thing?" That's when he informed her that he offered to adopt Cricket.

"I (reminded) her, 'You said you wanted a lap dog,'" he said.

On Tuesday, Lake planned to take Cricket directly to a veterinarian after his shift. While some officers initially estimated that Cricket is approximately 7 months old, others think she may be about 5 to 7 years old. She appears to be a Labrador retriever and terrier mix, and limps on her hind left leg where a claw was torn out and left her paw bloodied.

The officer is eager to have his new pet play with his other dog, a young German shorthair pointer.

"They should get along great," Lake said.

Following media reports about the incident, the police department received several calls from people offering to adopt Cricket.

"I'm not surprised at all. People are very generous and eager to help in situations like this," Green said.